It's funny, because it's the self-righteous attitude Rico wears as a cloak around his fragile ego that infuriates Garrus more than anything. The fact that he can throw his weight around, abuse his power, and then feel perfectly secure in smiling in his victim's face and claiming the high ground. It makes Garrus's blood boil, raises his hackles, and leaves him with a burning desire to lay Rico out all over again.
But he doesn't do that. He opens his mouth, ready to fire back at Rico, but he closes it and shakes his head. Then, he says the two words Rico probably expected the least:
"You're right." Garrus says. "Knowing that people looked up to me for what I was doing? That they thought I was on the right side, that I was a hero ...? That felt great."
There's no lie there, either. It did feel good. It was vindication for all the times his hands were tied. In his mind, it was proof positive that what mattered was the end result and not the acre of procedure you had to wade through to get it. It made him feel like he was actually changing things for the better, and no one in their right mind wouldn't feel something to all of that.
But he continues.
"That's not why I did any of it." His eyes narrow, his voice sharpens to match Rico's. "If you were paying attention, you'd know how I felt even when my own father was almost ready to disown me."
"I did it because I can't stand the idea of good people who didn't do a damn thing wrong getting screwed, and the people responsible get to just walk away. The fact that it happens all the time in this crazy, messed up world we all live in is what gets under my skin more than anything. It's why I joined up with C-Sec, and it's why I put up with every bullshit regulation until I left."
"I'm not a saint, Rico, no matter what opinion you seem to think I have of myself. I know that my anger led me to do some stupid things, and it's only because of a friend that I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life. I know that the only things that I can say for myself is that nobody I hurt didn't have the record to deserve it, and that all of my mistakes are because I was too invested in what I was doing to be objective about it."
"And the fact that you," Garrus jabs a finger into Rico's chest, "think you've got any sort of high ground about pulling a trigger, that's the real joke here."
Garrus leans in close.
"I've talked to Beeny. I've got an idea of what Mega City One looks like, and I've got an idea of what the average Judge does on a good day. Every mercenary I put down had a rap sheet of violent crimes longer than your arm." He snarls. "I'd be willing to bet you've put a bullet in someone for nothing more than the Justice Department telling you it was okay."
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But he doesn't do that. He opens his mouth, ready to fire back at Rico, but he closes it and shakes his head. Then, he says the two words Rico probably expected the least:
"You're right." Garrus says. "Knowing that people looked up to me for what I was doing? That they thought I was on the right side, that I was a hero ...? That felt great."
There's no lie there, either. It did feel good. It was vindication for all the times his hands were tied. In his mind, it was proof positive that what mattered was the end result and not the acre of procedure you had to wade through to get it. It made him feel like he was actually changing things for the better, and no one in their right mind wouldn't feel something to all of that.
But he continues.
"That's not why I did any of it." His eyes narrow, his voice sharpens to match Rico's. "If you were paying attention, you'd know how I felt even when my own father was almost ready to disown me."
"I did it because I can't stand the idea of good people who didn't do a damn thing wrong getting screwed, and the people responsible get to just walk away. The fact that it happens all the time in this crazy, messed up world we all live in is what gets under my skin more than anything. It's why I joined up with C-Sec, and it's why I put up with every bullshit regulation until I left."
"I'm not a saint, Rico, no matter what opinion you seem to think I have of myself. I know that my anger led me to do some stupid things, and it's only because of a friend that I didn't make the biggest mistake of my life. I know that the only things that I can say for myself is that nobody I hurt didn't have the record to deserve it, and that all of my mistakes are because I was too invested in what I was doing to be objective about it."
"And the fact that you," Garrus jabs a finger into Rico's chest, "think you've got any sort of high ground about pulling a trigger, that's the real joke here."
Garrus leans in close.
"I've talked to Beeny. I've got an idea of what Mega City One looks like, and I've got an idea of what the average Judge does on a good day. Every mercenary I put down had a rap sheet of violent crimes longer than your arm." He snarls. "I'd be willing to bet you've put a bullet in someone for nothing more than the Justice Department telling you it was okay."